— The Witness —

The witness attests to what they have seen and gives a faithful representation. They are crucial but are also aware the moment is not about them.

TELL THE FUCKING TRUTH ALREADY

— Let’s Be Real —

OUR INDUSTRY DOESN’T NEED ANOTHER WORKSHOP

So what about a Learning Retreat? At the heart, we all want to believe what we’re doing matters. We want our work to last for longer than a 10 minute run on Instagram (or 10 days, thanks, algorithm). We want to make a unique contribution.

The wedding photo industry created a cookie-cutter role and demanded you fill it with your creative goo. But when all the work starts to look exactly the same, it’s difficult to break the mold, or even know how to begin telling stories in a different, more honest way.

After more than 60 combined years of experience in the photography industry, we want to help you connect the dots between head and heart, between the desire to make images that matter and actually doing it. This multi-day intensive will be a chance to deconstruct all that’s been piled on you by the wedding photo industry, and help you build something new in its place, something with deeper roots, conviction, and heart.

IS THIS IS FOR YOU?

If you feel like something’s missing in your work, but you aren’t sure what…

If you’ve felt tension between making honest images and making images for likes…

If you’ve forgotten or don’t know what the point of wedding photography really is…

If you’ve been doing this for a while and are on the edge of burnout…

If you’ve ever felt like your couples or your photographs are a let down…

If you need a community of like-minded people to have your back…

If you have tried all the posing guides and presets but your work still feels unoriginal…

If you are new to wedding photography and don’t know what your role is…

If you scroll all week long then copy the shit you saw on Instagram and feel empty inside…

If you want to love your own work as much as you adore other’s photographs…

If you feel “all the feels” and just need someone to feel “all the feels” with you…

If you are just down right exhausted and disheartened by trying to play this game…

THIS IS FOR YOU.

— The Details —

What — When — how much — where — who

— WHAT —

Anyone can take a photograph, but not many people know how to make an image that really lasts, let alone hundreds of them in one day.

If meaningful stories are born in the heart, then we as witnesses need to get our heart right before our work has lasting meaning. Connecting the head to the heart and the heart to the photograph is what we do best. But it was an uphill climb getting there, and we couldn’t have done it without each other pushing our asses up that mountain together.

So now we invite you to be a part of a life-disrupting experience that will shift your work from taking disposable images to telling the lasting stories of the humans in front of your camera.

— WHERE —

In a secluded valley on the edge of Wyoming’s Green River. Near Fort Bridger, a quick 2 hour car ride from Salt Lake City International Airport.

Here dreams come alive. Hugs come hard. Hearts leave full.

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR UPDATES AND EARLY ACCESS.

— Join Us —

Email Address

Thank you!

– WHO WE ARE –

Ours is a chosen family. Two couples, both running wedding photography businesses and raising kiddos in side-by-side 100-year-old houses, and one beloved G-uncle who comes to town often for meals, sleepovers, celebrations, and long talks about what matters most.

We are proof that community is what you make of it, that face-to-face is better than face-to-screen, and years shared with like-minded creatives can transform not just your work but also the heartbeat behind it.

THE IMAGE IS FOUND - NATE & JACLYN KAISER

The greatest memories are made one simple, heartfelt moment at a time. Our deepest passion is documenting these moments for our own family as well as the hundreds of clients who have honored us by inviting us into their lives. We’ve been photographing weddings together for 16 years and have had quite the journey getting us to the place we are now. Leaving the hustle of West coast life and moving to a small town in Missouri next door to our best friends has been the greatest joy. Being parents to our two inspiring children continuously enforces the reality of why what we do for “work” matters. We share our home with a giant chewbacca looking dog, a world class asshole of a cat who wears a bow-tie, a furry little hamster, and a beta fish we often forget about.

WYN WILEY

To me, life is better with people in your corner. As a teacher, I care about your success but, more importantly, I am also here to be a person who cares about the real, true you and helps you find that truth and live by it; that deep feeling inside your gut, the place that you live with, that you grow from. My goal is always to make that a better place to come home to, and to hand-in-hand pioneer ways for you to live not just within this career, but to stay true to your own story and to embrace every beautiful piece of who you are. I am here because I want to care for the real you, laugh with you, experience life and conversation with you, from peaches to pits, and be changed for good - all of us - because of it.

WE ARE THE PARSONS - JEREMY & ASHLEY PARSONS

We are whimsical enough to believe the arts can cultivate love and change the world, but experienced enough to know that art for the sake of art can be stillborn, void, and empty. So we seek to cultivate a life and create work that speaks truth, makes meaning out of all the chaos. We live open-armed lives, in love with each other and our 3 boys, in an old house that is a revolving door of people welcomed in love, and neighbors who are our best friends. More deeply, we are people who have experienced deep pain, loss, death, and have found that life, love, and beauty are found there, not in spite of it, but right in the middle.

– Questions –

THE FIRST OF MANY WE’LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER

What’s a “Learning Retreat?”

More involved than a workshop, more intimate than a conference, we find a balance between work and cultivation, rest and play, learning and contributing.

We share one giant lodge, function like a family, gathering for meals, stories, chores, work, and new ideas as we guide you through a pivotal experience that will transform all you witness, from this day forward.

What do you mean by all-inclusive?

Get yourself to the front door of the lodge, and your needs will be met. We will provide accommodations, food, drinks, education, inspiration, and all the cry-laughs your heart could ever desire.

I have night terrors, will there be a bed for me?

Rooms will be shared between 3-4 attendees in twin bunks/queen beds (each with a bathroom). If you have a rooming/bed preference or special request, let us know.

What airport do I fly into?

Denver International Airport is the largest airport with easiest access for the Learning Retreat. It is about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from the airport to the lodge in the Estes Park area.

How do I get to / from the cabin and airport?

Attendees are responsible for their own transportation. Once accepted, we will provide access to an All You Witness group, where you can connect about sharing rides, if needed.

Do you give discounts for couples or multi-shooter studios?

Sorry, we don’t. Due to the limited number of spots available, there are no discounts for the Learning Retreat.

I’ve been burned by workshops in the past when I bought a full price ticket and then the price was lowered months later. Will you be offering spots at a lower price?

We hear you and we’ve been burned too. So nope, we won’t be doing that. The price is the price. Period.

Is this just for wedding photographers?

Yes and No. Although the content may be helpful in other photography / storytelling forums, most of what we share will be wedding-photo-specific.

If I am accepted, what’s the price?

Once your application is accepted, your deposit of $400 is due within 24 hours. The remaining balance is due in two payments of $1000 on April 1st and July 26th, 2019.

I’m nervous about the application process.

Honestly, it’s supposed to be fun. Think of it as an act of care for you and your fellow attendees, to help give you certainty this is the right experience for you.

Because we are cultivating a community, we don’t just want to grab your cash and go. We want to hear a bit of your story and to give you a chance to be “all in” before we make things official.

How many people are you accepting? What if you don’t pick me?

In order to keep this experience as personal as we can, we have a very limited number of 30-35 spaces. If you aren’t accepted this time, it will most likely be due to the fact that we received more applications than we had room for.

What if I apply and you’re already sold out?

We will keep your application safe and warm, and you will be the first to know about our next All You Witness Learning Retreat, with a head start on registration the next time around.

What if I have to cancel?

If you are unable to attend the retreat for any reason you are more than welcome to sell your spot to someone else, or we can apply your registration and funds paid towards a future event. Deposit and final payment are transferrable, but non-refundable.

Darn it! I’m already busy for these dates, so what about the next one?

Enter your email address below and click Newsletter Sign up! Everyone on our newsletter list will get a 24 hour early release for the next All You Witness Learning Retreat.

This is exactly what I need right now! Now what?

We are so thrilled, really believe in this and hope you can join us! Please click “APPLY” at the top/bottom of the page and fill out the application. We’ll be in touch soon!